Adventures of the Past

Great Adventures of the Past 

A fully stocked hamper? Check. A couple of Scotch Eggs? Check. A folding motorboat? Sorry - a what? This summer, Fortnum’s is unpacking adventure, and it’s left us reminiscing about all the many past adventures we have undertaken, particularly the ones where we’ve sent our adventure-ready provisions to those farthest reaches of the globe.

Adventure has long been at the heart of Fortnum’s, so much so that at one time in history, we had our very own Expeditions Department. This department equipped explorers, amateur and otherwise, with everything they could possibly need, from the first mosquito net to (with any luck) the last folding motorboat. And while that department may be closed today, our spirit for adventure remains as alive as ever, and we continue our tradition of supporting the bold, the curious and the brave. 

So join us, with a helping hand from our archivist Dr Tanner, for this little detour down the annals of Fortnum’s adventurous past…

In our 3’6 Bar, there is a piece of modern art by Ros Wyatt, commissioned by Fortnum & Mason, entitled “Because It’s There”, commemorating the 1924 Everest expedition, which was regally provisioned by yours truly. It was on this floor where our aforementioned Expedition Department was housed in the 1920s and 1930s, from which every attempt to climb the highest mountain in the world obtained supplies! 

1922 saw the first serious attempt by the British to reach the top, and adequate supplies were at the heart of the preparations. So, naturally, they turned to Fortnum’s. And what did we provide?  Mostly food, but that included tins of quail stuffed with foie gras and four dozen bottles of the appropriately-named Montebello champagne.

And that wasn’t the last time Fortnum’s was to aid an expedition up the world’s highest mountain, which stands at 8,850 meters - just slightly beating our Lossus tins. In 1933, another British expedition was mounted. It consisted of a team of gentlemen explorers and Tibetan sherpas, numbering a staggering 90 individuals, including Tenzing Norgay. The mountaineers took oodles of Fortnum’s tinned foods with them, including breakfast food, bacon, ham, beef, and mutton, chicken. lobster, crab, salmon, smoked salmon, sausages, many kinds of cheese, herrings, cod roes, asparagus, caviar, foie gras, and a dozen varieties of biscuit, jam, marmalade, honey, treacle, tinned and preserved fruit galore, plain, nut-milk and fancy chocolates, sweets, toffee, tinned peas, beans, and spaghetti. Good luck fitting all that in a hamper.

Not many of us have discovered the tomb of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh before (if you have, do write in), so it’s difficult to imagine how Howard Carter must have felt when laying eyes upon Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. The best way we can describe it would be reminiscent of what one feels when opening a Fortnum’s hamper, filled to the brim with the most delicious of treasures. Fortunately for Carter, however, he got to experience both of those one-of-a-kind experiences, as on the expedition to uncover Tutankhamun’s tomb, Carter’s diary records him calling in at Fortnum & Mason the day before his departure for Cairo in 1922.

In fact, in the seasons of the dig, Fortnum’s Expeditions’ Department sent out regular supplies of the taste of home in wooden chests to the European members of the party. The sort of things that would have been especially appreciated, included tinned and bottled meats and fish of many varieties (including the fabled quail stuffed with foie gras), tinned butter and cheese, Dundee cake, sweetmeats and acid drops to help with the thirst-inducing work. Wine, sherry and spirits were shipped out regularly, to give something to look forward to at the end of a long day.

The story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s voyage on the Endurance is one of extraordinary sea-faring prowess, heroism in the face of danger, and Pâté de Foie Gras. Born in Ireland and brought up in Sydenham, south London, Sir Ernest Shackleton attended Dulwich College, but left school at 16 to join the merchant navy, before going on to work for some of the largest passenger and freight companies in the world. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London, and during the Boer War worked on troop ships. His employer at the time, Union Castle, gave him leave to take up the post of sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy, on the steam yacht Discovery, led by the ultimate doomed romantic explorer, Captain Robert Falcon Scott.

Shackleton was very interested in the role of food in maintaining morale on long difficult voyages. He was not only in charge of the stores on this Scott voyage, but had the responsibility for the catering on board and making up sledging rations. On his return to England, Shackleton published an account of the voyage, which was a bestseller, and he was on his way to becoming a national hero.

In August 1914, he offered the fully-fitted Endurance (and crew) to the Admiralty for war service, and on their refusal he set off for the South Atlantic, as originally planned. On 18 January 1915, Endurance was in the Weddell Sea, surrounded by the worst pack ice ever recorded, and the ship was stuck. They set up camp on the ice and waited for many months in the hope that it might melt sufficiently to free the Endurance. 

The ice did not relent, and eventually crushed and sank the ship. In April 1916, the crew escaped to bleak and desolate Elephant Island, on board the tiny lifeboats Stancomb-Wills, the Dudley Docker, and the James Caird, which was named after Shackleton’s most important benefactor.

Eventually, the crew was saved in one of history’s most astonishing rescue missions. However, nothing was quite as astonishing as Shackleton’s Fortnum’s order for the expedition. Shackleton not only ordered several cases of goods from Fortnum’s for the great 1914-1917 expedition, he also came in personally the day before to buy a birthday cake for a crew member, which he hid in his sock until it was ready to be presented. The sorts of foods he sought were similar to those taken by Everest explorers: colourful treats, sweet things, and tinned luxuries. They were mostly highly calorific goods that would be a feast for the eyes and the senses at the end of a hard day, or for a special occasion on board or in camp. They would have provided a taste of home, and the exotic, when the main diet was dried food and the doubtful aromatic qualities of penguin and seal meat. The goods would have been eked out over the many months of waiting for the ice to melt, with the tins being employed in the increasingly important activity of fishing, as supplies ran low. Most of the items were sweet, the exceptions being Pâté de Foie Gras (full of calories and very luxurious), truffled game pâté (even more luxurious), and black Leicester mushrooms.

We don't know about you, but all that intrepid adventuring has got us in the mood to set sail on our own expedition outdoors. 

So with all this sunshine going spare all summer, why not tag along with us as we embark on our Unpack an Adventure series, taking us all over the nation from the coasts of Cornwall to the capital's greenest corners. 

Or, if you've already got your sights set on your own adventure, there's really only one place equipped to provide you with all your al fresco needs. 

So pick up a hamper, your trustiest picnic rug, and set your course for the great outdoors. And who knows - maybe your next adventure will go down in history, too.